Secrets From The Brains Of 13 Creative Geniuses

Jane PorterFast Company

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In 1963, Nancy Andreasen was the first female tenure-tracked English professor at the University of Iowa. Soon after, her first book about the poet John Donne was accepted by a publisher. Her career was off to a smashing start, but she had a nagging feeling.

"Who would this book help?" she couldn't stop herself from thinking. "What if I channeled the effort and energy I’d invested in it into a career that might save people’s lives?"